


hurting

by rosybumblebee



Series: A Change Would Do You Good [4]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 21:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12713193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosybumblebee/pseuds/rosybumblebee
Summary: "We'll save him, I promise."





	hurting

Shuu almost screams, seeing the giant worm slithering up Tokyo’s highest buildings. He feels tears well up in his eyes and he covers his mouth with a shaky hand, his heart crumbling in his chest.

Yuuta places a warm hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him, but Tsukiyama shrugs it away, taking a step away from Yuuta and biting his lower lip.

He can’t bear to listen to all the other ghouls, cheering on Kaneki and yelling about wanting to stand there, watching their beloved king die.

His shoulders tremble and he clenches his fists near his sides, blinking away tears before screaming out, “Shut up!!”

The ghouls turn to stare at him and he grits his teeth. “Kaneki killed humans? The ghouls’ revenge? Even as I preyed on humans for leisure, as he returned to Anteiku despite the thousands of investigators in his path, and even when he’d lost his memories!” He exclaims, not bothering to stop the tears from falling freely now, his fists so tight his knuckles go white.

“He always held humanity in his heart. Both humans and ghouls alike. To an almost foolish extent,” he lies. Kaneki never truly cared about the future of ghouls, at least not about those he didn’t personally know, but he has to convince the others to do something to save him. Or at least try.

“That’s wonderful to you? This is what you want to watch to its end?! Comrades! If you are all fine with this, then… am I the only one…” He lifts his head, fat, hot tears running down his face, smiling sadly. “That wants to see him happy?”

“He can’t read the books he loves, or drink his coffee. Nor can he speak with his friends, or loved ones. H-He…” he stutters, the lump in his throat causing him to choke and stop speaking.

The other ghouls start murmuring about what to do, but Shuu suddenly feels dizzy, his breath picking up. His bottom lip trembles and he steps back, sobs threatening to break his throat as he grips the hem of his shirt.

The voices around him merge together until he can’t hear a single, distinct one and his knees threaten to make him fall down. Suddenly, he feels a strong hand grab his arm and drag him away, away from that cluster of people. That hand takes him to a more secluded area of the forest and makes him rest his back against a tree, and Shuu feels a little more stable.

“Hey, hey. Shuu. Shuu, look at me,” Yuuta urges, gently taking Shuu’s face in his hands, which are immediately slapped away. “Okay, okay, I won’t touch your face, sorry. You’re having an anxiety attack. Please, look at me. Breathe with me.”

Shuu looks up at Yuuta, his chest quickly rising and falling with heavy, shaky breaths. His hands are still trembling and he can’t find enough voice to speak.

 

_KanekiKanekiKanekihe’s dying I have to save him I can’tlet himgoagain he’s dying he’s dying hesleaving me don’t take hiMAWAY FROM ME_

“Hey, don’t do that, you’ll hurt yourself,” Yuuta says, and Shuu glances down, noticing that he’s pressing his nails in the palm of his hand and biting his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. He lets his lip go and lets Yuuta unfurl his fists, feeling the other’s warm hands hold his cold, shaking ones.

“H-He’s dying, they-they don’t want to save him, let me go, let me go!” he yells, pulling away from the tree and starting to run in the direction of where Kaneki was, only to be stopped by a pair of strong arms encircling his waist and pulling him against Yuuta’s chest, holding him firmly in place. “You’re not going anywhere, Shuu. It’s just going to get you killed, and I’m not letting you go so soon.”

Shuu weakly struggles against Yuuta’s hold, squirming in his arms until he goes limp, his head hanging down low as he sobs desperately, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his teeth. “I-I don’t want him to leave me again, let me go… please…”

Yuuta feels a pang in his heart, hearing Shuu cry like this makes him want to do whatever he can to make him smile again. He has such a pretty smile. He also feels a tiny bit of hatred for Kaneki, for how he’s reduced Shuu, but he knows that it’s irrational, that Kaneki never wanted to cause so much harm.

He pulls Shuu up and back against the tree, holding his hands in one of his and placing his other one on Shuu’s chest, “Breathe with me. I know it’s hard, but you just have to try. Look at me and do what I do, okay? Don’t think about anything else. Just me, and my breathing,” Yuuta instructs, and Shuu nods quickly, tears still streaming down his face.

Yuuta begins breathing steadily, inhaling with his nose and exhaling with his mouth, and Shuu tries his best to follow. It’s hard at first, maybe the hardest thing he’s ever done, but he eventually manages to get his breathing back to normal, though his throat still feels tight and his legs still weak and trembling.

“Good. Yes, like that, you’re doing perfect,” Yuuta smiles encouragingly, squeezing Shuu’s hands and kissing the back of his right one. “That’s it, baby, breathe slow. You’re doing amazing,” he nods, and Shuu closes his eyes, able to breathe normally on his own. “…thank you.” 

“No need to thank me. I couldn’t leave you in the middle of an anxiety attack, could I?” Yuuta asks, and Shuu attempts a tiny smile. “…I-I could use a hug right now.”

“Anything,” Yuuta says, and wraps his arm around Shuu’s waist, placing his other hand on the back of his head and cradling it, kissing his temple.

Shuu relaxes a little and sneaks his arms around Yuuta’s neck, closing his eyes and tuning out the distant sounds of the ghouls still discussing.

“We’ll find a way. We’ll save him, I promise,” Yuuta murmurs, holding the other tighter, and Shuu, just for a moment, trusts Yuuta that everything will be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!!! this oneshot would follow the first part of the series better, the longest one! the other two parts are canon compliant too but this would fit the story better, so take it as a... continuation, i guess? idk i was super salty about the second half of ch149 and managed to fix that up lmao thanks again!!


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